Lutong Bahay: Ginataang Kalabasa't Hipon

Lutong Bahay is a short tag on the title which I use to feature home-cooked food, either in our own home or at a friend's house.

Although I'm a big meat eater, I managed to abstain from eating any chicken, pork or beef this Good Friday in observance of Lent. Of course, you wouldn't expect me to turn vegetarian in an instant. So the most perfect alternative to juicy, succulent meat is seafood.

For someone like me who has seafood allergies, this can be tough. Although I love my shellfishes and crustaceans, these yummy sea creatures give me crazy itching and swelling. However, I still take the risk and just turn to my friendly and always-ready antihistamines, especially when it's my mom's Ginataang Kalabasa't Hipon (Squash & Shrimp in Coconut Milk) that's on the table.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of squash. But whenever I see a plate of this treat on our table, I can't help but feel excited as I just love the combination of squash and coconut milk. It's creamy, savory and oh-so-good! And if that's not scrumptious enough, the addition of big shrimps (or prawns) definitely makes this dish a winner for me.

I haven't tried cooking my own Ginataang Kalabasa't Hipon yet, but I'll make sure to get the recipe from my mom and try to recreate this (seemingly) simple yet very satisfying dish some time soon. I hope I don't ruin one of my favorite seafood treats though.

How about you, are you also a fan of Ginataang Kalabasa't Hipon? If not, what seafood dishes are your favorites? I hope you'd care to share them so I can try to convince my mom to make them for me. In the meantime, I hope you're having a nice and safe Lent, or long weekend, if you don't observe this Christian season.

I am a sea food and guinataan lover.Forget about fork and spoon and dig in with both hands and a lot of rice.And for some with allergies to sea food ,don't worry and get ready,enjoy eating, anti histamines are always ready to help.

Ohhh, delicious. I love any dish with gata in it that sometimes I wonder if I really don't have any Bicolano ancestors. :) My sister makes a variety of this dish by combining tomato sauce and gata. Haha!

wow yummy :) my mom cooked ginataang kalabasa with shrimp last thursday (as a tradition we don't eat meat every lenten season #pamahiin) I'm also allergic with shrimp :( but squash and the gata is still the best :)

I hate you for making me crave this at this time of the night! Gosh, this is one of my favorite dishes. I seldom eat veggies but I love anything ginataan. Especially if it's spicy and with seafood! Mapa-shrimp pa yan o crab. Wow, I want it now!

what i'm used to is ginataang kalabasa only. my mom used to put only hibe and not those big shrimps. Ginataang kalabasa is one of the veggie viands my kids learned to love. i cooked that everytime i see squash (kurbis in german) in a supermarket last autumn season where squash are everywhere.